Skydiving daredevil Felix Baumgartner is more than halfway to his goal of
setting a world record for the highest jump after a successful test leap
from 13.6 miles above the ground.

11:30AM GMT 16 Mar 2012

Baumgartner lifted off on Thursday for a test jump from Roswell, New Mexico aboard a 100ft helium balloon and rode inside a pressurised capsule to 71,581ft (21.8km) before jumping.

He parachuted to a safe landing, according to project spokeswoman Trish Medalen, as he successfully completed the first test jump ahead of his planned attempt to leap from 23 miles or 121,440ft (37km) this summer.

"The view is amazing, way better than I thought," Baumgartner said after the practice jump, in remarks provided by his representatives.

The rehearsal put on trial his capsule, full-pressure suit, parachutes and other systems whilst a mini-mission control — fashioned after US space agency Nasa — monitored his flight.

Baumgartner reached speeds of up to 364.4mph during his descent and was in free fall for three minutes and 43 seconds, before pulling his parachute cords, Medalen said.

The entire jump lasted eight minutes and eight seconds, although all figures are unofficial the spokeswoman added.

With the successful test complete, Baumgartner is believed to be only the third person ever to jump from such an altitude and free fall to a safe landing, and the first in a half-century.

The record for the highest free fall is held by Joe Kittinger, a retired Air Force officer from Florida, who jumped from 19.5 miles or 102,800ft (31.4km) in 1960.

If and when the 42-year-old Austrian known as "Fearless Felix" leaps from the edge of space feet in a few months, he expects to break the sound barrier as he falls through the stratosphere at supersonic speed.